Tuesday, September 25, 2012

SHOULD WE LEGALIZE DRUGS?

By Olawale Smith twitter: @iam_Smithzzle

Walk around your typical alley anywhere
around, in the noisy Lagos suburbs, the sunny estates in Nairobi or the hoods
in Brooklyn and a certain sight is very common: That of young men (more often
than not) hoarding their white wraps of marijuana and enjoying a good smoke. It
is not an everyday occurrence yet, because most still do it in hiding, but it’s
still a vivid and common picture).

I am a young Nigerian male, and I have had
my fair share of travels around to know that this phenomenon is very global.
Secretly done or not, the proportion of the Nigerian male (and female too!)
that indulge in all/any sort of drug (apart from normal cigarettes and
clinically recommended tablets) is very high. Which brings to fore the
question: Are drugs really illegal? Even in the movies and music videos, our
icons have helped no bit. Times without number, we have seen our heroes and
favorite musicians, sportsmen or movie stars arraigned and rightly convicted
for wrongful possession and/or consumption of drugs. Rightly convicted I said,
only because it is STILL illegal to possess or consume most of these drugs. But
is that trend about to change? We would try to analyze that together on this
page. Just for perspectives, maybe it’s important to note that I don’t smoke.
It’s just a topic of interest.

I would like to start by actually listing
as many kinds of drugs as we have and some extra information on them.

Antidepressants are a prescription medication used to treat depression and mood
disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders and other
anxiety problems. The problem is that some antidepressant drugs can actually
carry serious side effects and when used in combination with alcohol or other
depressant drugs, can actually make you more depressed. Likewise, discontinuing
use suddenly can cause mild withdrawal symptoms

Barbiturates: There are many different types of barbiturates out there, many of
which are prescription, and work by depressing the central nervous system. This
can cause sedation and anesthesia. While used to treat seizure disorders,
insomnia and other problems, they can be abused. Users often build up a
tolerance to them, requiring larger doses to achieve the same effects. Overdosing
occurs often in those abusing “downers.”

Cannabis is also known as marijuana and has psychoactive effects. It is
taken into the body in the form of smoke or vapor and can even be consumed and
mixed into food or steeped in a tea. While the jury’s still out on whether or
not marijuana is addictive, it is often believed to act as the “gateway” to
other more serious substances.

Depressants are a type of drug that works by reducing the function of the
central nervous system. Drugs often included in this category are barbiturates
and benzodiazepines.

While hallucinogens
have been around for years in ceremonies and rituals, they play a role in
modern society as well. They work by producing sensory hallucinations in users
involving any of the five senses. Common substances that fall within this
category include LSD, PCP and Peyote.

As their name would suggest, inhalants refer to a group of drugs
that are inhaled in the form of a gas or solvent. Potential inhalants can be
found just about anywhere and include common products like nail polish remover,
gasoline, glue and aerosol cans.

While the term “narcotics” is often used to refer to any illicit substance, it
technically means a substance derived from opium (opiates) or its synthetic
replacements. Examples of narcotics include cocaine, morphine and heroin, all
of which are highly addictive.

Anabolic
steroids are not the same as the kind used in
medicine for the reduction of inflammation. Rather, these substances are used
to build muscle mass and strength. They typically consist of male sex hormones
and can be very damaging when used without a prescription.

Stimulants are a class of drugs that boost alertness and increase the activity
of the central nervous system. Examples of this type of drug include amphetamines,
methamphetamines, cocaine and nicotine, all of which are highly addictive.

Tobacco is often smoked in the form of cigarettes or cigars or chewed and
contains nicotine, which is a stimulant. It’s a highly addictive substance and
has been known to cause cancer and other diseases.

>>Refer to www.thegooddrugsguide.com
for more information. (People, you need to read more on Google or Wikipedia
about all these drugs, see pictures and statistics on usage and
production/using countries and you would be shocked!)<<

Now, I bet you didn’t know half of this
before now? Well, I didn’t too! So here we would focus more on the effects and
the fight against the use of Tobacco (e.g. cigarette), Narcotics (e.g. opium,
cocaine, and heroin) and Cannabis (e.g. weed, Igbo).

Now, very simply and quite understandably,
these drugs are damaging because they could be addictive and could also induce
one to be in an ecstatic state where crimes become a lot easier to commit. And
since the traditional role of governments is to protect its borders, its
security and the security of its citizens, it is no surprise that all
governments are sworn to the cause of its eradication or drastic containment.
In Mexico and Colombia, the war against drugs is taking phenomenal dimensions.
Tens of thousands have died. In Mexico, it is estimated that more than 11,000
people have died in drug related crimes since 2005. The only human catastrophe
that rivals this data since 2005 is probably the Haiti earthquake. It is
saddening. Governments are spending so so much on the war on drugs. Afghanistan
for example, where the Americans and their NATO allies have been fighting since
2001 against the Taliban (despite Russia’s earlier disgrace in that country
years ago), produces about 75% of the world’s opium! That’s huge! And for years
it was (still is) the major source of funding for the Taliban and their
extremist elements. Today, it remains a huge source of livelihood for millions
of Afghan farmers. America is rightly concerned because globally, this trade
yields hundreds of billions every year and is second in income generation only
to the oil industry. A UN report said the global drug trade generated an
estimated US$321.6 billion in 2003 alone.Also because the main consumers of this deadly drug are the Westerners
themselves. Mexico borders America, Colombia is not that far away. That’s why
America spends about $52.3billion a year to fight a losing battle. Nigeria
would solve its electricity problems for ever with a quarter of that, and to
think of it, this is a yearly spend!

Well, a poll on October 2, 2008, found that
three in four Americans believed that the War on Drugs was failing. Many
countries have been thinking along this line too. The Netherlands is a famous
example of this, where drugs are decriminalized and you are only prosecuted
when you commit crimes under the influence of drugs. Either way, you would
still be prosecuted if you committed crimes under no influence, yeah?So what’s the point? To this end, Mexico
decriminalized the use of drugs in 2009. The US was less raunchy in its
response (compared to Mexico’s earlier attempt in 2006) by simply saying they
were adopting a “wait and see” approach. This may be pointers to the fact that
America wants to see if it works to also consider towing the same line.

So, my big question is this? Why are
governments still fighting the drug war so hard? The fact is, the drugs trade
is still booming. Those who consume drugs still consume it, only in hiding.
Those who get addicted still get addicted anyway and either die of overdose or
remain senile or less active forever. The damage is all on the individual.

What are the disadvantages of legalizing
this? Really? As far as am concerned, I suspect many governments of dubiously
siphoning funds through claims of fighting drugs trafficking and usage. I
remember the complicity of America’s CIA and FBI in the Iran-Contra feud years
back and the very open claims of America’s support of the despot and drug lord,
Noreaga.

As for me, I want to look first at the
positives of legalizing drugs use. One: You free up millions and billions of
funds used in the expensive and low-yielding war on drugs to other sectors
needing urgent attention. If I were President, I would spend that money on
health advocacy campaigns and proper education so that instead of scaring the
devil out of our children on this drug issue, we open their eyes to see the ill
and we give them the power to choose rightly. Millions of roads can be paved
with these funds, our police can be revamped and better furnished. Ohh, there’s
so much we can do.

The US can triple its funding for HIV and
other health related issues in Africa. Secondly, it frees up our jails of
thousands of nonentities who would probably just die-off in their homes from
addiction anyway! Thirdly, it allows the government focus on other more
productive areas of crime control and drug usage. Lastly, and most importantly,
you put the few but very powerful drugs lords out of business because everyone
can now sell and since the market for drugs is huge and lucrative, you create
employment for thousands (including the rehab centers that will eventually take
the addicts), create a vibrant middle-class and lift millions out of poverty!
See? Now, I know why I have always dreamt of being President! Someone give me
Barack’s number so I share this great idea with him! Lol.

The point is, as far as am concerned, a
drug is a drug. If people are already allowed to take cigarettes (in any
amounts), then why not the harder ones? Why should the government regulate
this? There are greater evils on this earth to battle than the ones who affect
the individuals in question themselves.

I might be wrong. That’s why I enjoin you
to take part in this debate. Should we “legalize drugs” like Sean Paul has
humorously demanded in his song?

I await your candid and frank views. Let’s
have a civil discussion, and please no attacks on my person or on any comments.
Thanks!